151 replies to this topic

[Midnight_Tea]

Majic, on 17 November 2012 - 11:27 PM, said:

The concepts are epic, and I love the ideas behind the events and new content, but the quality assurance is absolutely atrocious. Broken events, bugged NPCs and blocked quest chains are the rule, rather than the exception.

If GW2 was a crappy game, I honestly wouldn't mind, because it would be easy to move on and take it for what it was worth. But the fact that it's truly the best game I've ever played makes the fact that it is so rife with major bugs all the more heartbreaking.

Here's hoping the good people of ArenaNet get their act together soon and bring the quality of the game mechanics up to match the superb quality of the content.

As it is, they are failing to live up to the high standards they have set for themselves, and both we and they know they can do better.

That sums up a lot of my thoughts nicely. Particularly about being saddened because GW2 is a great game by a great company.

This whole event chain feels very rough and rushed. Too much stuff is bugged or broken. Damage isn't very well tuned, and so far I don't see much "point" in parcipating. I like to tell myself that this is just their way of adding new zones. They don't want to do it WoW's way when you get a patch and the world literally changes overnight. They want something transitory and organic.

Thinking of it that way rather than a holiday event is how I'm going forward and it's less disappointing in that light. I do hope this doesn't discourage the folk at ArenaNet from doing it this way in the future.

[TenderFoot]

What’s embarrassing is the whole trial thing trying to grab new potential players on a event weekend like this fiasco! By far this event is the worst one Anet has done. While Anet does have some great ideas in all while the same can't be said on their execution when it's still very amateurish when I thought they would have learned from GW1.

Edited by Ethereal, 18 November 2012 - 01:27 PM.
Keep the font at a legible size. :)

[Phy]

Daesu, on 17 November 2012 - 05:36 AM, said:

That's the problem when they start introducing gear grind into this game.  Welcome to the new and improved GW2!

By the way, I don't feel like playing the dungeon because I am a casual player and has only masterworks gear.  This game is getting too gear-dependent for my taste.

People being d-bags isn't because of the game, people are d-bags because they suck the john thomas. It's entierly possible to run these dungeons with less than full 80 exotics, I just did.

[blindude]

what event??Im with my friends who try the game on trials and we havent notice anything..Dont be afraid new players wont notice there was an event afterall

[Mastruq]

XgreatArtist, on 17 November 2012 - 05:25 AM, said:

The dungeon.
1. I got kicked because i am a mesmer and the 'leader' says he doesnt want mesmers in it. Wish i could report that guy. Class-ism ingame. First world problems. Note, this kicking happened when the chest appeared and i didnt get it yet. I did blocked that guy though, is it possible to report?
2. I wanted to leave because i have lunch etc etc and urgently need to go. Result? Flaming by other WoWkids for 'Why do u join this dungeon then? Gtfo'. Lifeless people. Note, this happened AFTER we finished a fractal. Not in the middle, not at the beginning.
3. Oh, so apparently you need full exotics in order to join a party? No exotics? OK! Kick
4. Kicking people because it is their first time in the dungeon. "Excuse me XXXslayerXXX, how do i do this jump puzzle, i am new here --' Kicked.
5. Party leader got bored, so he and his friend kick everyone out. Griefing.
6. Player A L>dungeon. Player B invite. Player B ask: what difficulty. Player A says 'i am new, or i am difficulty 1'. Kicked. (NOTE, neither party mentioned what difficulty they are on)
7. There is racism in the game. One guy kicked a sylvari because he doesnt like trees. Thank god i am a human.

Pretty much all those examples are just strangers being asses because they can and there are no repercussions on the internet. That's just how it is, the only solution is to play with friends/guildmates/people-you-know. Especially the one where you presumably did the whole dungeon with that group until the chest, perfect trolling opportunity and the only thing on the list that should be patched to be impossible (just keep you in the zone for another minute so you can loot up).

[ExplosivePinata]

I think the new area is damn good graphically for a free update, I've seen far less impressive ones in games where you pay.  Hats off for that.

Gameplay-wise, it's fun but the veteran big crab things will need to be downgraded when less people play.  Those things were a nightmare when GW2 stopped responding (think it was because 300 players were spamming skills and I also got the woo, woo, woo from my speakers that  happens sporadically during Dragon events), when I rejoined there was only 4 or 5 of us.  Deaths a plenty.

Edited by ExplosivePinata, 18 November 2012 - 02:13 AM.

[Impmon]

I agree and go one step further.

Anet to fire & hire new quest designers & programmers.

1.  Upon arriving in new zone the first quest I find involves dodging to avoid wurms that one shot you to collect golem parts.  Not only do the wurms one shot you but they also immobolize if you get hit with their splash damage.

Who the hell thinks thats fun ?  For what ?  

2.  Numerous veteran karka's who appear to be stronger then the shatterer upon dying reward no exp.  I've done plenty of damage to them and get NOTHING.  WTF is with this BS.  I've been in this new area maybe 20 min and I'm ready to punch something.

3.  Anet is lucky they didn't make people pay for this garbage.

Edited by Impmon, 18 November 2012 - 02:47 AM.

[madmaxII]

I am not really impressed by the new level 80 map and the story events before it as well but the new dungeon is absolutely amazing. If they fix the DC problems this might be the best patch ever.

[ToySoldier]

Mastruq, on 18 November 2012 - 01:55 AM, said:

Pretty much all those examples are just strangers being asses because they can and there are no repercussions on the internet. That's just how it is, the only solution is to play with friends/guildmates/people-you-know. Especially the one where you presumably did the whole dungeon with that group until the chest, perfect trolling opportunity and the only thing on the list that should be patched to be impossible (just keep you in the zone for another minute so you can loot up).

The best game system will protect players from these jerks.  A chief goal in mmorpg design is so that players can do PvP WvW on equal basis.  When it comes to grouping, protection mechanism against exploits need to be there. It's something for ANet to work on.

[Totta77]

Most things about GW2 feel low-quality. It's like being handed a cheap knock-off toy; you can recognize the features of what it tries to emulate, but it just feels so discount. Some of the features are nice, some of the ideas are right, but the quality is so low that it isn't a satisfying product. This event is no different, it only further exemplifies how ANet have no idea how to do an MMORPG and should have stuck with the instanced mission model of GW1.

[Atticus]

Quote

This whole event has been a disaster and I don't think I'm over exaggerating. First off ArenaNet begins with an unplayable opening event due to massive latency issues for everyone, then we begin on the "quests" (which are more than a bit confusing) by coming to understand the majority of them are bugged and if we hadn't completed them (once again because they were broken) then we're not out of luck and they are uncompletable and finally we're offered a new island where many of the mobs feel very... lopsided (by that I mean front loaded with status effects and damage). So all this just really saps any sort of enjoyment I could get out of this.

Once again all this seems to step from the fact that ArenaNet apparently tests nothing before pushing it live, they don't seem to do enough bug tests or enough play tests to tune this at all.

I couldn't agree more, this game is beautiful but so much of it is being so hamfistedly handled it takes the game way out of what it could be. In fact I think this whole event has been a fairly complete disaster and I don't think I'm over exaggerating. First off ArenaNet begins with an unplayable opening event due to massive latency issues for everyone, then we begin on the "quests" (which are more than a bit confusing) by coming to understand the majority of them are bugged and if we hadn't already completed them (once again because they were broken) then we're out of luck and they're intentionally uncompletable and finally we're offered a new island where many of the mobs feel very... lopsided (by that I mean front loaded with status effects and damage). So all this just really saps any sort of enjoyment I could get out of this.

Once again all this seems to step from the fact that ArenaNet apparently tests nothing before pushing it live, they don't seem to do enough bug tests or enough play tests to tune this at all.

Edited by Atticus, 18 November 2012 - 03:26 AM.

[dd790]

Played Fractals on difficulty 1 with a group of 4 (one DC'd and couldn't join again) and I had so much more fun than I have ever had in a dungeon. I agree that if the DC is fixed this is a great addition from what I have seen, though that was only Frost, Lava and Colossus fractals. I liked the new and different mechanics and I liked the difficulty, was challenging at times with the 4 of us but doable, whereas most dungeons just seem hard for the sake of it instead of a challenge. I liked having to work new mechanics out and the experimenting being the main difficulty, most dungeons are just OP mobs as artificial difficulty modifiers.

Been busy tonight, but was looking forward to checking the new island out tomorrow, little worried after reading forums and the hatred but will have to see for myself tomorrow.

I was worried about FotM but from my quick play of it today I enjoyed it.

[Sonzai_Moto]

This whole event has just been frustrating. There were too many game-breaking bugs. Because of this it felt uncoordinated and not fun. Then there is the story. I enjoyed the Halloween event, which had its flaws. It really did feel like it was building up to something. But this one...there's been an attack on LA before. And a counter-attack on a separate island. With maybe 5 more dragons waiting in the wings, why karka?

Plus, it really showed off the lag/loading issues with the game.

What do we get out of this:

1. Fractals - buggy but not bad. I think I will enjoy these more. Plus, they are entirely unrelated to the karka.

2. New level 80 grind area. Nice, but there's nothing to grind atm. Monster don't give xp, and I saw no drops while there. This place might get better when there are fewer people in it. Karka...meh.

3. Ascension items. Haven't seen these yet. Connection to karka?

I'll probably do enough to get my monthly achievement, but after the weekend event is over.

[Majic]

Phy, on 18 November 2012 - 01:42 AM, said:

People being d-bags isn't because of the game, people are d-bags because they suck the john thomas.

I want this on a tee shirt.

[Coren]

Daesu, on 17 November 2012 - 05:36 AM, said:

That's the problem when they start introducing gear grind into this game.  Welcome to the new and improved GW2!

By the way, I don't feel like playing the dungeon because I am a casual player and has only masterworks gear.  This game is getting too gear-dependent for my taste.

Even full exotics I fine, and those are fairly easy to get. I'm casual too now (new responsibilities and life etc...) but I suggest you play the fractals for the fun of them. I played them for the discovery and I loved them so far, but I'm sure I'll stop when agony comes into it. No way I'm grinding dozens of times to get one ascended piece.

[Daesu]

Coren, on 18 November 2012 - 05:58 AM, said:

Even full exotics I fine, and those are fairly easy to get. I'm casual too now (new responsibilities and life etc...) but I suggest you play the fractals for the fun of them. I played them for the discovery and I loved them so far, but I'm sure I'll stop when agony comes into it. No way I'm grinding dozens of times to get one ascended piece.

Lol thanks for the cheering up.  I met some nicer people and even invited a level 50+ along.  Someone wanted to kick him but I didn't want to second it.  

[Cruxisinhibitor]

Gear and traits matter so little in this game because the skill and combat systems are so streamlined and homogeneous to accommodate casual players that it can leave the people wanting more skill depth and combat depth feeling a bit upset. You really don't need the gear...i've run a dungeon completely naked and not died even once. That's how free form and badly designed this game's combat is. There is no inter-class synergy, skills are static and feel meaningless because they are pigeonholed...it just pales in comparison to GW1 and how tightly that game was designed. The live updates are just utter filler trash. The fractals dungeon just feels like gimmicky trash that was thrown together to give filler to draw people back into the game. The game needs fundamental changes, not this stupid trash like ascended gear and infusions....they are really terrible at implementation of concepts...down state, infusion...all implemented badly and serve to make the game worse rather than deeper or better. I feel like this game would be bomb if they had monks and removed the down state. It would give people reason to group up and socialize if the classes became defined more independently...they really shouldn't have gutted the trinity, it just limited their creativity with designing encounters in my opinion. I really feel like they're floundering, i don't know how they're gonna get their shit together.

[Cruxisinhibitor]

Impmon, on 18 November 2012 - 02:35 AM, said:

I agree and go one step further.

Anet to fire & hire new quest designers & programmers.

1.  Upon arriving in new zone the first quest I find involves dodging to avoid wurms that one shot you to collect golem parts.  Not only do the wurms one shot you but they also immobolize if you get hit with their splash damage.

Who the hell thinks thats fun ?  For what ?  

2.  Numerous veteran karka's who appear to be stronger then the shatterer upon dying reward no exp.  I've done plenty of damage to them and get NOTHING.  WTF is with this BS.  I've been in this new area maybe 20 min and I'm ready to punch something.

3.  Anet is lucky they didn't make people pay for this garbage.

I took down a veteran Karka that had two phases...killed a bunch of people and we found it pretty hard to ressurect others during the fight. After the process of fighting and killing it for 15+ minutes, i got 71 copper and a white item. Trash reward for such a pain. The combat mechanics like down state are frustrating..It isn't fun when people are dead and have to wp out because you can't rez them. This game is so free form, it just breeds anti-social behavior from how the content is delivered. The group dynamics and combat mechanics are so shallow. i really don't know how others find this game fun day after day.

[Gremlin]

I would have liked to get into this event but it just keeps stalling so you get players standing around who have no idea whats wrong.

Perhaps with hindsight it would have been better to avoid new content till the game was running smoothly.
What made it far worse for anet was to have the invite 3 friends weekend at the same time.
So  we have to explain to our friends  that no the game isn't awful this is most unusual etc .
I wonder how many new players took the trouble to download the client set aside a weekend only to find chaos.

Anet is a good company and gw2 is a great game but someone somewhere appears to be making strange decisions.
I would have thought Fixes to problems come first Tweaks and balances come second and new content comes after that.
Get your act in gear please I would hate to be the only person here this time next year.

[fathamburger]

Lost shores itself is a bit of a letdown of a zone. There's nothing there as far as events go and mob variety. All the best content was in the initilal landing, tree clearing and establishing of bases and WP's. I feel bad for anyone who missed out on that since that was the bulk of the "new content".

Fractals in the other hand, by far the best part of the expansion. Some beautiful dungeons and great mechanic ideas in there, blows most of the static borefests for exotics i.e. HoTW away. Would love to play some of the fractals dungeons directly for tokens instead of that other garbage

[Resolve]

fathamburger, on 18 November 2012 - 08:05 AM, said:

Lost shores itself is a bit of a letdown of a zone. There's nothing there as far as events go and mob variety. All the best content was in the initilal landing, tree clearing and establishing of bases and WP's. I feel bad for anyone who missed out on that since that was the bulk of the "new content".

Ugh I missed that. Does any of that reset? I spent a bit of time there just before and it wasn't that exciting. Just "collect x" or escort events...

[Var]

The dungeon is fantastic. The achievements are fun, particularly the chicken hunt.

But is the jade boss supposed to be the only world boss or is my group's luck this bad? We've hit him four time now in our decent.

As for those worried: you can run this in blues for the first two levels, the challenge is in the mechanics rather than the damage with plenty of mechanics set up to help you kill faster and the bosses don't use all of their abilities... or even most of them until you get good traction on depth; the dungeon has a friendly learning curve. Difficulty doesn't actually increment with the depth but depth/2 rounded down. So, basically, every even number.

Didn't get to see the event but I'm not really sure why people think they are waste irregardless of how buggy/laggy they might be. They are just there to give the world a sense of life, they don't really give anything and there's no big reward aside from being there for that one moment. I'll get to see the big bad boss today though, should be fun.

[dd790]

Resolve, on 18 November 2012 - 08:40 AM, said:

Ugh I missed that. Does any of that reset? I spent a bit of time there just before and it wasn't that exciting. Just "collect x" or escort events...

Nope, we have missed it forever and most people seem to be saying that it is by far the best part of the event so far.

One time events and casual do not go together in my opinion. Some people can and are happy to rearrange their IRL lives for a game, but casual players (GW2 was advertised to) are not those.

I'm not all that bothered, end of the day a game is a game but I am a little worried quite how much content I will miss through one time events which sound a bad idea on paper for a multi time zone MMO.

[Gli]

dd790, on 18 November 2012 - 11:48 AM, said:

Nope, we have missed it forever and most people seem to be saying that it is by far the best part of the event so far.

Really? I thought it was the most boring thing ever.

Running after some NPCs in the biggest zerg ever, so many players around, many of them wouldn't even render, doing basically nothing more involved that making sure you lock the next target for your auto-attack.

My guild opted out at some point because some of us were literally dozing off. We went our own way exploring the island.

[dd790]

Gli, on 18 November 2012 - 12:32 PM, said:

Really? I thought it was the most boring thing ever.

Running after some NPCs in the biggest zerg ever, so many players around, many of them wouldn't even render, doing basically nothing more involved that making sure you lock the next target for your auto-attack.

My guild opted out at some point because some of us were literally dozing off. We went our own way exploring the island.

Thanks, glad I didn't miss much then

Tonight's finale has "unique rewards" though so may have to grind through. I was hoping that it'd be fun but not so confident as I read more about the opening event and last nights

[Dasryn]

my only gripe with it is that i feel like ANet shouldve made this a permanent location in the game, not a one time event.  im sure there is so much to do, and so little time to do it in.

[sevalaricgirl]

I love it. It's great fun running around the island.  We loved the dungeon and can't wait to do it again. It was challenging even for our tried and true dungeon vet.  Our only complaint was that before you get to the legendary, there should be an armor repair station.  It cost me 10 silvers to fix my armor and we didn't take the legendary down because three of the five lost pieces of their armor.  The karkas were fun and this time in my first chest, I got a mini pet.  I have't figured out if I want to keep it or sell it after the event is over.  So I'd say it was aces above the Halloween event though they added another challenging for little people jumping puzzle.  Not as frustrating as the clock tower but still not great when you have a Norn or Charr in front of you and you can't see the next jump until it's too late.  But all in all, we and the members of our allied guild had a great time.

[Cube]

Haha, yesterday when phase 2 came I think I got kicked off the server a million times. It was so terrible, and so laggy, I didn't know if I was going to bother. But I did, and it was painful It was so extremely laggy I couldn't really do anything. And when you got onto the new map, holy c*ap it was bad. I got disconnected constantly if I followed the big group. It took quite some time before it cooled down and I could actually participate in stuff.

And yeah, of course it's frustrating. You're really excited about this new event and it becomes unplayable because their server(I'm assuming) can't handle it all.

The dungeon is great, but it has a lot of frustrating things too, the fact that if you get DC, kicked, bluescreen, you name it, you won't be able to join your party again. I find that to be one of the dumbest ideas anyone has ever come up with. maybe this will get fixed. Lets hope so. Other than that I like the small dungeons. I do however, not like the the extremely small amount of tokens you get. Maybe it gets better? I don't know yet. I know it's gonna take me ages to get one of those exotic items thought.

[moomooo1]

I think the dungeon is great, and the elitists will definitely require certain pre-reqs and what not, of course. But these same people will find pre-reqs to do *any* content that they do.

I myself ran with real life friends and 1 random guildie. Only 2 of us were decked out in level 80 exotics, One was 80 with masterwork, one was 70 and the last was a measly level 18.

We comfortably ran the dungeon for the first time through 2 fractal runs and the boss.

And you know what? When a non-80 asks to join me next time, and he's polite about it, I will take him.

I think infused gear will be my only pre-req once agony becomes a problem.

[AarodCutshot]

I usually just do dungeons with my guild. I tried the dungeon a couple times was fun I guess didnt really care for a couple of the bosses but its playable. I didnt know alot of people were having trouble with griefers and stuff. Makes me never want to do a pug party.